So, so tired!

mstorvik

I have been doing a bootcamp type workout for about 5 months now and have dropped only 10 lbs. I was counting calories, and I didn't always stick to it. Regardless, working out with high intensity two hours a day lately... my instructor told me I need to cut the carbs. I checked and i was eating about 250 a day. He suggested I eat under 100. I did Atkins when I was 19 (I'm 33 now) and I passed out on it. I've been around 60 or 70 carbs for a few days now and I have no energy. I have to drink coffee just to get off the couch. When does this go away? Going to bootcamp in the mornings has been HORRIBLE. I feel like a slug.

I would love to add people who are low carbing and have open diaries. I've been eating the same things for a few days now and I know I am going to get bored. I don't usually eat prepackaged foods - but it would be nice to find things that are sweet to eat once in awhile other than jicima, haha!

Thank you for any support!

skinnyeascolady

On hear you on the low energy. It usually lasts for a few days. I had to stop atkins a few years back for the same reasons. If you are working out heavy on lose high intense days maybe go to 120 carbs for the day a little extra protien I found that helps. I have been doing under 100 carbs now for about 3 months and I am losing weight it does work. By working out heavy I mean 500- 1000 cal burn a day. I find doing breakfast, snack, dinner, snack ,super, snack works well for me. Then my body always has enough and it doesn't do a sudden stop or crash does that help. I would get some cook books at the library the south beach ones are excellant..

mstorvik

On hear you on the low energy. It usually lasts for a few days. I had to stop atkins a few years back for the same reasons. If you are working out heavy on lose high intense days maybe go to 120 carbs for the day a little extra protien I found that helps. I have been doing under 100 carbs now for about 3 months and I am losing weight it does work. By working out heavy I mean 500- 1000 cal burn a day. I find doing breakfast, snack, dinner, snack ,super, snack works well for me. Then my body always has enough and it doesn't do a sudden stop or crash does that help. I would get some cook books at the library the south beach ones are excellant..

Thanks so much! From what I read, this lull eventually goes away? I Workout about 500 cals a day - sometimes 1000. seem to really drag in the morning more than the evening... and I even eat a banana in the morning. I'm not going to quit though - I have dropped a few lbs already - eating the same amount of calories I ate when I didn't count carbs.

I hear you on the snacks!! I've been working them in here and there.

Do you share your diary? I'd be interested in being friends on here!

ZipperJJ

How many calories are you eating? You might want to try upping the cals and leaving the carbs low just for a week and see how you feel. You don't have to eat fatty foods, maybe just get more calories from protein like chicken, fish and eggs.

A lot of the time people who switch to low carb stay low cal and are tired because they're hungry, not because of the lower carbs.

Also make sure you are eating low glycemic carbs like from leafy greens, berries and whole grains. Something like a banana is at an "intermediate level" on the glycemic index so it's affecting your insulin levels and could be causing a sugar crash.

Here's some info from the FAQ at http://glycemicindex.com

18. How relevant is the GI for athletes?

The GI can be a useful tool to help athletes select the right type of carbohydrates to consume both before and after exercise. Studies have consistently reported that a low GI pre-exercise meal results in a better maintenance of blood glucose concentrations during exercise and a higher rate of fat oxidation. This is likely to result in reduced muscle glycogen utilisation during prolonged exercise and possibly improve endurance performance. Eating high GI meals before exercise may result in plasma glucose concentrations peaking before the onset of exercise and then hypoglycemia occurring within the first 30 minutes of the exercise period. There is little data available on the effect of the GI of carbohydrates eaten before intermittent, power or strength related sports.

During recovery from exercise, muscle glycogen resynthesis is of high metabolic priority. The eating of high GI carbohydrates after exercise increases plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and this facilitates muscle glycogen resynthesis. If however, you are exercising for weight loss purposes or are involved in weight restricted sports, low GI carbohydrates after exercise may be more beneficial as the lower glucose and insulin concentrations will not suppress fat.

I work out more now on Atkins (40g of low glycemic carbs a day) than I ever did, and haven't experienced an issue with being tired due to lack of carbs. Any time I do feel tired or weak it's because I'm hungry or dehydrated.

mstorvik

How many calories are you eating? You might want to try upping the cals and leaving the carbs low just for a week and see how you feel. You don't have to eat fatty foods, maybe just get more calories from protein like chicken, fish and eggs.

A lot of the time people who switch to low carb stay low cal and are tired because they're hungry, not because of the lower carbs.

Also make sure you are eating low glycemic carbs like from leafy greens, berries and whole grains. Something like a banana is at an "intermediate level" on the glycemic index so it's affecting your insulin levels and could be causing a sugar crash.

Here's some info from the FAQ at http://glycemicindex.com

18. How relevant is the GI for athletes?

The GI can be a useful tool to help athletes select the right type of carbohydrates to consume both before and after exercise. Studies have consistently reported that a low GI pre-exercise meal results in a better maintenance of blood glucose concentrations during exercise and a higher rate of fat oxidation. This is likely to result in reduced muscle glycogen utilisation during prolonged exercise and possibly improve endurance performance. Eating high GI meals before exercise may result in plasma glucose concentrations peaking before the onset of exercise and then hypoglycemia occurring within the first 30 minutes of the exercise period. There is little data available on the effect of the GI of carbohydrates eaten before intermittent, power or strength related sports.

During recovery from exercise, muscle glycogen resynthesis is of high metabolic priority. The eating of high GI carbohydrates after exercise increases plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and this facilitates muscle glycogen resynthesis. If however, you are exercising for weight loss purposes or are involved in weight restricted sports, low GI carbohydrates after exercise may be more beneficial as the lower glucose and insulin concentrations will not suppress fat.

I work out more now on Atkins (40g of low glycemic carbs a day) than I ever did, and haven't experienced an issue with being tired due to lack of carbs. Any time I do feel tired or weak it's because I'm hungry or dehydrated.

Oh I don't want to eat the banana at all actually... I am having stomach issues when I work out though - over the last 5 months my nausea has increased and I am trying out things the doctor said to keep it at bay. So far, the banana lessens it. I tried a rice cake... didn't work. I already take Prilosec OTC... but I am still getting mild nausea. And my workouts are not getting much harder... so I don't get it. They checked me for an ulcer, nada. So... I don't want that banana, but it's lessening.

I also have been waking up in the morning with a stomachache since I have went low carb. I think my stomach is used to having a ton of carbs before bed maybe and it soaked up the acid? Who knows.

Thanks for that link!! I will be reading up!!

mstorvik

Forgot to mention: I'm eating 1600 cals with the low carb and that is the high end for me. So I am trying to get the cals in!

Marll

If you're working out hard in a boot camp style setting, sweating a lot, I'd be willing to bet good money that you need sodium. Whenever I feel run down from working out too hard/much when doing low carb I'll drink a nice beef broth that is pretty salty and the feelings go away almost immediately.

caraiselite

when i 'restart' low carb i make sure i stay home for a week or so. lots of sleep, headaches, and being very moody when i go into carb withdrawal mean i'm very crabby.

once you're firmly in ketosis though, you should feel amazing. loads of energy, no headaches - it even cured my insomnia and anxiety.. and getting there on depression.

i eat 20 grams a day and between 800 to 1400 cals

mstorvik

when i 'restart' low carb i make sure i stay home for a week or so. lots of sleep, headaches, and being very moody when i go into carb withdrawal mean i'm very crabby.

once you're firmly in ketosis though, you should feel amazing. loads of energy, no headaches - it even cured my insomnia and anxiety.. and getting there on depression.

i eat 20 grams a day and between 800 to 1400 cals

Marll - YES! I have to put salt on so much stuff because I lose it so quickly! (Actually more than others, too!)

You know what?! Last night I was wide awake! I couldn't sleep and had tons of energy... and this morning I feel kinda that way, too! So maybe here's the beginning of the end of the tiredness. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Thank you to ALL of you for your support!

ZipperJJ

Oh I don't want to eat the banana at all actually... I am having stomach issues when I work out though - over the last 5 months my nausea has increased and I am trying out things the doctor said to keep it at bay. So far, the banana lessens it. I tried a rice cake... didn't work. I already take Prilosec OTC... but I am still getting mild nausea. And my workouts are not getting much harder... so I don't get it. They checked me for an ulcer, nada. So... I don't want that banana, but it's lessening.

I also have been waking up in the morning with a stomachache since I have went low carb. I think my stomach is used to having a ton of carbs before bed maybe and it soaked up the acid? Who knows.

I've been going through some awful stomach issues since I started low-carb too, on Jan 1. It's been 6 months now. All sorts of tests (and $$) and no real answers other than "You have GERD and gastroparesis" (my stomach digests too slowly) I tried 4 different meds and the only thing that gets it fixed is Protonix. But Protonix makes me dizzy and my heart race. So I take magnesium with it and that seems to do it.

Anyway, stomach problems suck, I feel ya. The thing that worked for me is trying different drugs until there was something I could live with.

mstorvik

What stinky is that my stomach started that before low carb. I take the magnesium stuff, too! I guess that is what Prilosec is?

cramernh

Forgot to mention: I'm eating 1600 cals with the low carb and that is the high end for me. So I am trying to get the cals in!

Here you go - its right here.....

If you are consuming 1600 calories, and are averaging 500-1000 calorie burns from working out.... You are actually causing your body more harm than good because your net calories would be 600-1100 calories!


You need to eat more.... fuel the body up with the same types of foods you are consuming on your low-carb intake. Increase your proteins and make sure you are staying well hydrated.

You should never consume less than your BMR also......

There shouldnt be any reason to have a five-month lull-kind of feeling.... Converting from regular intakes to a low-carb intake traditionally varies with people - generally can be 1 week, 2 weeks, for some can be 3 weeks... but not five months..

You need to up your caloric intake with those types of caloric burns.....

(EDIT: caloric burn was used just as an example)

mstorvik

Forgot to mention: I'm eating 1600 cals with the low carb and that is the high end for me. So I am trying to get the cals in!

Here you go - its right here.....

If you are consuming 1600 calories, and are averaging 500-1000 calorie burns from working out.... You are actually causing your body more harm than good because your net calories would be 600-1100 calories!


You need to eat more.... fuel the body up with the same types of foods you are consuming on your low-carb intake. Increase your proteins and make sure you are staying well hydrated.

You should never consume less than your BMR also......

There shouldnt be any reason to have a five-month lull-kind of feeling.... Converting from regular intakes to a low-carb intake traditionally varies with people - generally can be 1 week, 2 weeks, for some can be 3 weeks... but not five months..

You need to up your caloric intake with those types of caloric burns.....

(EDIT: caloric burn was used just as an example)

I think you are right about the working out and needing to eat more calories that day for sure! Will do that!

I must have communicated wrong. I was not low carb until this week. For the five months prior, I was 1600 cals and that's it. I only lost 10 lbs even though I was working out a lot.

I don't agree about the BMR. If I never went below it - on my days I don't work out at least, I would lose no weight, right?

cramernh

Forgot to mention: I'm eating 1600 cals with the low carb and that is the high end for me. So I am trying to get the cals in!

Here you go - its right here.....

If you are consuming 1600 calories, and are averaging 500-1000 calorie burns from working out.... You are actually causing your body more harm than good because your net calories would be 600-1100 calories!


You need to eat more.... fuel the body up with the same types of foods you are consuming on your low-carb intake. Increase your proteins and make sure you are staying well hydrated.

You should never consume less than your BMR also......

There shouldnt be any reason to have a five-month lull-kind of feeling.... Converting from regular intakes to a low-carb intake traditionally varies with people - generally can be 1 week, 2 weeks, for some can be 3 weeks... but not five months..

You need to up your caloric intake with those types of caloric burns.....

(EDIT: caloric burn was used just as an example)

I think you are right about the working out and needing to eat more calories that day for sure! Will do that!

I must have communicated wrong. I was not low carb until this week. For the five months prior, I was 1600 cals and that's it. I only lost 10 lbs even though I was working out a lot.

I don't agree about the BMR. If I never went below it - on my days I don't work out at least, I would lose no weight, right?

I will research the links from work (I work in Healthcare, mind you).... there are viable medical studies that do show in some cases, eating below the BMR might be counter-productive for long-term weight management thus causing weight gain...

My current belief is still the same - you are not intaking enough on high-calorie burns...

LowcarbNY

The first week of going on lc can be hell. Day 4 was the worst. It takes some time for your body to get used to it. Give it time and don't give in or give up.